This invention relates to a product and means for protecting the scalp during hair treatment procedures which involve the use of caustic solutions, such as those used in hair straightening or hair waving operations. Specifically, this invention relates to the use of polymers having acidic functional groups, such as, polycarboxylic acid polymers, which readily form acidic aqueous gels, per se, and which are amenable to the inclusion of dermatologically safe buffering systems to achieve enhanced capacity in the pH range 3.5 to 7.0.
One of the most common hair treatments involves inducing a curl or wave by contacting the hair with solutions which are inherently irritating to the scalp and, via runoff, to the neck and shoulders because of the alkaline nature of the solution employed. Hair straightening procedures are similarly subject to this observation. Prior attempts to make the host subject comfortable during such hair treatments included the use of barrier creams such as petroleum jelly or the use of cotton dams placed at strategic positions against the scalp. Such prior attempts, however, have enjoyed limited and not always reproducible success.